It is an idiomatic expression that translates to: “We are at the fruit.” In Italy at the end of a meal, the last thing that is served is a plate of fruit. So, you can use this little expression to indicate something is over.

But, as I learned from my Neopolitan friends, the expression doesn’t have a positive meaning, rather it means that something has ended badly. Perhaps this is in reference to the fact that when fruit is really done, and past its prime, it is pretty mushy and not all that appealing.

Potete usare quest’espressione in tanti modi.You can use this expression in several ways.

Or perhaps when a job assignment that should have gone better but it ended with less than the spectacular results you had anticipated, you can say: We mucked this up, there is nothing to celebrate with these results.